Entomology & forage
The insects and forage fish eat, and the stages they pass through. Knowing what is hatching, and what stage it is in, is most of the answer to what fly to use.
8 terms
Mayfly hatches (8)
- Blue-winged olivealso BWO, Baetis, Blue wing olive, Blue-wing olive“Blue-winged olive” (BWO) is the common fly-fishing name for several small mayflies in the Baetis group. Anglers use it to describe the hatch and the flies used to match it.
- Green drakealso Green Drake, Green drake hatch, Green drakesA “green drake” is a large mayfly hatch that can bring trout to the surface for big dry flies, especially in late spring and early summer. The name is used for several similar-looking mayfly species depending on the region.
- Hendricksonalso Ephemerella subvaria, Red Quill, Hendrickson hatchA Hendrickson is a spring mayfly hatch best known on Eastern trout rivers. Anglers use the name for the insects and for fly patterns that match their duns and spinners.
- Hexageniaalso Hex, Hex hatchHexagenia are large burrowing mayflies (the “hex” hatch). Their nymphs live in soft-bottom lakes and slow rivers, and the adults can bring big trout up to feed after dark.
- March brownalso March Browns, March Brown hatch“March brown” is a common name for several medium-to-large spring mayflies and the hatch events tied to them. The name can mean different species depending on region.
- Pale morning dunalso PMD, Pale Morning DunsA “Pale Morning Dun” (PMD) is a common mayfly hatch made up of small, pale yellow mayflies. Anglers use PMD nymph, emerger, dun, and spinner patterns to match it.
- Sulphuralso Sulfur, Sulphur hatch, Sulfur hatch, Ephemerella sulphur“Sulphur” is a common hatch label for small yellow mayflies, most often in the genus Ephemerella. Anglers use it to match pale yellow duns and their evening spinner falls on many trout rivers.
- Tricoalso Tricorythodes, Trico hatch, Trico spinner fallTrico is a tiny mayfly (genus Tricorythodes) best known for dense summer morning hatches and spinner falls. On many trout rivers it brings selective fish and fine-tippet dry-fly fishing.